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Topic: Bells Two Hearted yeast? (Read 3634 times)

Gail, I seriously think I may have gotten an old batch and not just of THA because in the last week I've bought two different styles made by Founders that I'm sure were old (screw tops) and they both tasted off to me, one came from the same store I bought the THA so it wouldn't suprise me. I'm going to start paying more attention to date codes before buying from now on. Bell's puts an easy to read born/made date on theirs but Founders is almost impossible to locate or cipher. From now on, I personally won't buy some PA's or an IPA that is more than 6 to 8 weeks from its born on date... jmo.

Hopfenundmalz... I have no doubt about that and I hope I can make it down there this summer.

With many craft beers you can take a look at the bottle against the store lighting and see if it looks cloudy or fluffy toward the bottom--don't buy it. I've seen that with other Bell's brews and learned the hard way when I bought a Brown with fluffy sediment (didn't notice until I got home) from a store out in rural northern Michigan and found it had turned to wet cardboard in a bottle. I haven't had a Founders beer in screw top bottles, ever, but I think you should go by your taste buds and maybe either try bringing it to the attention of the store owner or try taking your business elsewhere--hard in your part of the state, I know. Not much beats fresh beer and most everything beats old, stale or cardboard beer!Gail

You got that right about it being hard in this part of the state... most drinkers here are hardcore BMC types so anything else doesn't get the treatment it really should. I don't blame either Founders or Bells... but the distributor and the store owner should know better and practice what they know.

Sometimes they need educating...that's maybe where you can help them out... And then you'll benefit by being able to buy fresher beer!It's got to be so frustrating for the brewer/brewery to have a substandard product on the shelves due to age or storage conditions.Gail

Ha! Denny is the type to educate someone. I am too gruff... I just say it like it is. For instance, how many people think they are cutting a fat hog in the ass going to Walmart? Ha! If you're buy something from China or similar yeh.... but buy FOOD at Walmart and you're paying WAY more than you need... good gravy even Meijers is Way Lower on food than Walmart... and Meijers workers are union... so it isn't the unions that are ripping America off!

Years ago I had 2 Hearted on Cask at the brewery cafe, and that rocked my world! Had it on tap many times since at the Eccentric Cafe, and it is good stuff. Hope you had a good time talking to Larry Bell.

He was very cool. I've met him once before - very friendly and unassuming - loved to talk about brewing and break out his secret stash which was awesome (a couple collaboration beers and a few vintages of Expy). I even told him that I wasn't a big fan of the bottles of 2HA, but loved the draft, and he lamented about the poor treatment the distributors give him down here.

Too bad - Its no Avery IPA, but I would definitely go regularly to have some draft 2HA if we could get it.

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The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

I cultured this yeast from 2 THA bottles last summer and made a THA "clone." I say "clone" because I don't think it was a very good one but rather a damn fine centennial APA. That yeast is a monster attenuator. I remember my starting gravity was lower but it ended finishing around 1.005. I don't know if Oberon and THA use the same yeast but I would bet they do. They have the same slight fruitiness in the finish.

BTW, I've had THA at the brewery, in the bottle, and on cask. On cask is amazing! This is my go to beer and my favorite IPA and I have many IPAs. But I may be biased since it's a Michigan beer and I live in Michigan and have friends in K-Zoo.

dean - as you have probably seen before, I am not shy about saying that THA is overrated. However, I had a draft pint and shot the breeze with Larry over the weekend - its infinitely better on draft. I think it might be in my Top 10 IPAs now, whereas before it was barely in the top 20.

so what I'm saying is try to get fresh bottles

Ha! Whatdoya know - we agree about something. Definitely better on draft, not so great in the bottles. Still just a little too sweet. I think Racer X is a far superior beer on draft and in bottles.

Ha! Whatdoya know - we agree about something. Definitely better on draft, not so great in the bottles. Still just a little too sweet. I think Racer X is a far superior beer on draft and in bottles.

ha - we agree on a lot, don't you agree?

While R5 is one of my top 3 IPAs, I have yet to try RacerX.

as far as yeast is concerned, 1272 would probably make the closest clone, but I think 1450 will make a fine example.

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. That's what I meant. My sarcasm doesn't always come over well through the internets. Racer 5 is actually what I meant, also - love Racer X though (more of a IIPA). Got to drink them both at the source a couple years ago and tour the brewery. Know one of the brewers there personally, actually.

Racer 5 is water - after you have just had a Racer X. Found that out last September at Bear Republic. Then went to RR for some Pliny the Elder. Glad we had checked into a hotel in Santa Rosa in between stops.

For those of you not in Michigan, there was a release of a beer called The Oricale only in MI by Bells. That was right up there with the California DIPA's. Larry said he wanted to see if it would sell. It did.

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Jeff RankertAnn Arbor Brewers Guild, AHA Member, BJCP CertifiedHome-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!